RIVERSIDE – The convicted accomplice of "Freeway Killer" William Bonin said he fabricated a story that the serial killer began his murderous spree in Southern California by strangling a teenager in April 1979.

James Munro, who was convicted of second-degree murder for his role with Bonin in a 1980 killing, told an investigator less than three months ago that Bonin described the death of 13-year-old James "Jamie" Trotter of Costa Mesa as "the easiest one." Bonin also produced a photo of the teen and mentioned details of the crime, Munro said.

But Monday, Monroe recanted the story after a recording of his interview was played in court.

The recording highlighted the second day of a hearing on a pretrial motion in the case of James Lee Crummel, a convicted child molester charged in Riverside County with killing Trotter. Crummel's attorneys are attempting to persuade Superior Court Judge Dennis McConaghy to allow them to present their theory of Bonin's involvement in Trotter's murder.

Bonin was executed in 1996 after being convicted of killing 14 boys in 1979 and 1980.

In court Monday, Munro said his claims about Bonin's involvement in Trotter's death were "a lie."

"It was my payback to Bonin for ruining my life," Munro said. He said he thought the investigator who conducted the interview at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione was a police officer, and "the last time I kept my mouth shut to a cop, I got charged with murder." Actually, the investigator was working for Crummel's defense team.

Munro said he gained knowledge of Trotter's death from a 1996 news story. He said he was swayed to cooperate because Crummel's attorney, Mary Ann Galante, told him at a later meeting she would defend him for free at his next parole board hearing.

Galante said Munro recanted because he wants to be seen as cooperating with law enforcement in hopes of winning favorable treatment from the board.